Channel 4 announces ‘first ever’ interactive broadcast ads

On-demand viewing is shifting from desktop and mobile devices to the bigger screens of connected TVs, and Channel 4 has responded to this trend by developing a series of interactive TV ads.

The channel announced that it has partnered with video ad platform Innovid to offer advertisers interactive and personalised ad formats on TV for the first time. The move comes five years after Channel 4 launched similar formats for digital devices.

The first interactive ads will launch on Roku devices later this month, giving viewers the option to choose between different ad creative, watch additional content or click-to-buy the products being advertised.

Research by Channel 4 has shown a 22% increase in the presence of smart TV sets and smart boxes/sticks in UK households between 2015 and 2016.

Although All 4 views on mobile devices are continuing to grow, connected TV views have soared and now represent half of all views.

David Amodio, digital and creative leader at Channel 4, said: “We were the first broadcaster in the UK to launch interactive ads on our TV player back in 2011 with Innovid so we’re excited to exclusively introduce the next game changer to the digital TV market. TV viewing behaviour is evolving with a broader choice of content platforms than ever before — but viewers still gravitate to their favourite screen, the telly! By extending our interactive suite to the big screen, advertisers are now able to uniquely interact with our young, proactive audience across all screens.”

Channel 4 has also launched ispon, a suite of interactive sponsorship formats for connected TVs — extending the benefits of viewer engagement across All 4 platforms to its sponsorship partners.